GWU PA Student Society Constitution and Bylaws

Constitution

We, the Physician Assistant Students of The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, hereby establish this professional organization in order to fulfill purpose of mutual interest to the community we serve, our academic institution, and ourselves. To this end we also establish The George Washington University Student Society Chapter of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. This chapter is a student constituent of the Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (SAAAPA), and will embrace all SAAAPA policies.

Bylaws

Article I:Name

Section 1.The name of the organization shall be The George Washington University Student chapter of the Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, herein referred to as the James K. Tolton Society.

Article II:Purpose:

Section 1.To serve as the official organization of the Physician Assistant Students.

Section 2.To encourage academic and clinical excellence.

Section 3.To explore current and developing medical issues.

Section 4.To promote the Physician Assistant profession through the education of students, professionals and the public.

Section 5.To promote community service and enhance communication.

Section 6.To assist program faculty and staff with special needs.

Section 7.To act as a service and information center with regards to the Annual National Physician Assistant Conference.

Article III:Membership

Section 1.Every matriculated student in good standing with The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program is eligible for membership. This includes students enrolled in the joint degree program, such as the PA/MPH Program.

Section 2.Full membership in this society is dependent upon membership in the SAAAPA.

Section 3.Affiliate membership to the society is given to those students who are not members of the SAAAPA.

Section 4.Honorary membership shall be open to faculty members and friends of the Society at the discretion of the Executive Council. Honorary members shall have no power to vote in Chapter functions.

Section 5.Second-year PA students and third-year PA/MPH students shall remain members of the society, but will be exempt from paying local membership dues.

Article IV:Fees

Section 1.The American Academy of Physician Assistants determines membership dues for SAAAPA.

Section 2.Local membership dues shall be determined and paid by all members and collected by the Treasurer.

Article V: Executive Council

Section 1.The executive council of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the PA/MPH 1 representative.

Section 2.Other representatives include SAAAPA Representative (AOR, HOD), MCSC Representative, MSII Representative, HSSC Representative, Social Chair, Diversity Representative, 1-3 Class Greeters, Community Service Chair, a Professional Advisor, and Student Representatives to the Virginia Academy of PAs, Maryland Academy of PAs, and DC Academy of PAs.

Article VI:Executive Council – Elections and Term of Office

Section 1.All officers of the James K. Tolton society and representatives shall be elected within four weeks of the start of the fall semester. In order to serve in the elected or appointed official capacity, all officers and representatives must remain in good standing throughout the course of the program.

Section 2.PA/MPH 1 students should select a representative from their class to be their leader and maintain a position on the executive council. In addition, they must select their own Treasurer. For this reason, the PA/MPH 1 students shall not vote or run for the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer of the Society. PA/MPH 1 students are permitted to run and vote on all other elected positions.

Section 3. No officer or representative shall hold more than one elected position at any given time. In the event a person is elected for more than one office, he/she must select an office and resign from the other. The candidate who received the second largest number of votes will assume the resigned office.

Section 4. All officers of the James K. Tolton Society shall be elected in the manner set forth for a one-year term, commencing immediately after the election in which they are chosen and terminating the following year upon completion of the next election.

Section 5. The outgoing executive council will serve as an advisory committee to the incoming executive council for a period of one year.

Article VII:Executive Council – Duties and Responsibilities

Section 1. President

  • Establish class meeting schedules.
  • Preside over class meetings.
  • Represent the student body as deemed necessary.
  • Establish goals with the executive council.
  • Establish and organize committees as needed with the assistance of the executive council.
  • Meet with the Program Director regularly to discuss issues of importance.

Section 2.Vice President

  • Shall serve at the President’s direction, providing assistance as requested.
  • Stand in for the President when necessary.

Section 3.Treasurer

  • Collect the chapter dues during the month of October for each academic year.
  • Maintain accurate records of debits and credits.
  • Disburse monies as required.

Section 4.Secretary

  • Take minutes at class meetings.
  • Type minutes and make available to the class via e-mail and/or posting within forty-eight hours of the meeting.

Section 5.Class Greeters

  • Welcome non-PA Faculty professors to their initial lecture.
  • Act as a liaison between professors and students regarding questions of grading criteria, make-up tests and lectures, papers, etc.

Section 6.Health Science Student Council (HSSC) Representative

  • Attend HSSC meetings representing the interests and concerns of the PA students.
  • Develop and maintain strong professional relations with other Health Science students.

Section 7.Medical School (MS) II Representative

  • Represent the PA students in the didactic phase of training to the second-year medical school class.
  • Coordinate note service with second-year medical students to include: collection of fees, distribution of notes, and resolving any disputes that may arise regarding note service.
  • Greet professors for lectures shared with MS II students.

Section 8.Social Chair

  • Chair person of the social committee.
  • Act as a liaison with the social chairs of MSI, MSII, and MCSC.
  • Develop a calendar of events early in the academic year with the President.
  • Develop and coordinate student social activities.

Section 9.SAAAPA Representative: Assembly of Representatives (AOR)

  • Inform the class about AAPA membership, national activities and trends.
  • Act as a liaison between the class and AAPA.
  • Represent the class at conferences and AAPA events.
  • Distribute all SAAAPA student information including resolutions to the program
  • Discuss all AOR resolutions with the student society prior to the conference so that the AOR representative knows how to vote at the conference
  • Monitors the SAAAPA website
  • Reviews the AOR handbook and participates in online discussions with other AOR representatives
  • Serve as point of contact for SAAAPA Board of Directors and the regional chair
  • Represent the GW Program in the Assembly of Representatives (AOR) during the Annual PA Conference held in May.

Section 10.SAAAPA Representative: House of Delegate (HOD)

  • Distribute all HOD information to the student society
  • Attends the AAPA annual conference
  • Discuss HOD resolutions with the SAAAPA Chief Delegate and the society
  • Participate in online discussion with HOD representatives

Section 11.Medical Center Student Council (MCSC) Representative

  • Attend all MCSC Meetings.
  • Represent the GWU Chapter of AAPA.
  • Use the one PA representative vote to promote the AAPA’s goals.
  • Report back to the PA Class officers and the PA class collecting input for future MCSC meetings.

Section 12.Student Diversity Representative

  • Act as the liaison between the student society and the SAAAPA Director of Diversity.
  • Act as a representative of all physician assistant students and convey any and all concerns and issues regarding diversity to SAAAPA.
  • Coordinate, with the aid of the regional chair, local activities and community outreach projects.
  • Disseminate information to students regarding diversity issues that may affect the delivery of healthcare to various populations.
  • Serve as the representative to the student diversity regional committee from his/her respective PA program.

Section 13. Virginia Academy of PAs Representative

  • Attend VAPA meetings that are open to students.
  • Act as a liaison between the class and VAPA.
  • Represent GW PA students at meetings of VAPA regarding funding for scholarships and AAPA conferences, and other issues.
  • Report back to the PA Class about VAPA membership, funding opportunities, and other issues.

Section 14.Maryland Academy of PAs Representative

  • Attend MAPA meetings that are open to students.
  • Act as a liaison between the class and MAPA.
  • Represent GW PA students at meetings of MAPA regarding funding for scholarships and AAPA conferences, and other issues.
  • Report back to the PA Class about MAPA membership, funding opportunities, and other issues.

Section 15.DC Academy of PAs Representative

  • Attend DCAPA meetings that are open to students.
  • Act as a liaison between the class and DCAPA.
  • Represent GW PA students at meetings of DCAPA regarding funding for scholarships and AAPA conferences, and other issues.
  • Report back to the PA Class about DCAPA membership, funding opportunities, and other issues.

Section 16.Community Service Chair

  • Keeps the society abreast of local community service events
  • Organizes and facilitates participation in community service events
  • Provides pictures of community service events for the society scrapbook

Section 17. Fundraising Chair

  • Identifies and Organizes fundraising activities
  • Works with the treasurer to ensure financial management

Article VIII:Meetings

Section 1.The Tolton Society shall meet once a month unless the President decides a meeting is unnecessary and the transactions of the Society can be handled via e-mail or through other forms of class communication.

Section 2.The President shall call all Society meetings and approve all requests for unscheduled Society meetings.

Section 3.All members of the Tolton Society must be notified at least three days prior to said meeting date through an appropriate form of class communication.

Section 4.General elections for the Executive Council will occur in the fall semester and is a mandatory meeting for all Tolton Society members.

Section 5.The Executive Council should decide as a group how often they should meet. The President shall approve all requests for Executive Council meetings.

Article IX:Amendments, By-Laws, and Parliamentary Source

Section 1.The Constitution and/or Bylaws may be amended by a vote of more than 50% of the members present plus absentee ballots, provided all amendments proposed are submitted to each Society member at least two weeks prior to the vote.

Section 2.The Society must receive absentee ballots by midnight on the day of the voting.

Section 3.The Parliamentary Source used by the Society shall be Robert’s Rules of Order. In all proceedings, the Constitution and Bylaws shall take precedent.

Section 4.The Constitution and Bylaws may not be amended so as to exclude student membership. [Amended January 1999]

The Student Society Bylaws is compiled by

The George Washington University Physician Assistant Program

Fall 2011 edition

Last update 5/20/19

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